Method of renewing ink ribbon



July 19, 1927.

s. A. 'NEIDICH METHOD OF RENEWING -INK RIBBON Filed June 25. 1925 FIGFI. J8

llVVE/VTOR' 5/1/7115 A/Vaa/cu,

Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

SAMUEL A. NEIDICH, OF EDGEWATER PARK NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF RENEWING INK RIBBON.

Application filedl'une 23, 1925. Serial No. 39,159.

My invention may be employed with par- 1 ticular advantage in the treatment of wide ribbons such as are used for duplicating machines, as the greater portion of the cost thereof is for the textile fabric which ,is

more durable than the coating of ink with.

5 which is hardened by oxidation and thereafter extremely difficult to remove. It is the purpose and effect of my invention to break up the dried ink in the used ribbon and remove it so that the fabric may be re- 1 inked'to substantially the same condition as when rimarily inked.

In the form of my invention hereinafter described; the essential featureof the means employed is a pair of rollers carryingcard clothing arranged to beat. and brush the fabric, upon its respectively opposite sides, preferably in a direction opposite to that in which the fabric is drawn between said rollers. However, my invention includes the various novel features of. construction, arrangement. and method of procedure hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawings; Fig. I is a diagrammatic elevation, partly in section, showing a convenient apparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. II is a fragmentary axial sectional view of the friction retarding device including the shaft of the roller indicated at the right hand sfile ofFig. I.

Although a single'ribbon of any of the standard lengths may be treated in accord ance with my process; I find it more economical to connect a plurality of suchfribbons, in series, by machine sewing their adjoining ends together. A ribbon, or preferably a series of such ribbons 1, thus connected, are wound in a roll 2 upon the idle roller 3 having the axial shaft 4. Said ribbon 1 is drawn from said idle roller 3 by the pair of feed rollers 6 having axial shafts 7. Said rollers 6 are preferably formed of iron composition and pressed toward each other so as to wring the fabric 1 as it passes between them. Therefore, I provide said idle roller 3 'with suitable means for retarding its turning movement, so that said fabric 1 is under tensionin its passage therefrom.

As indicated in Fig. II, I find it convenient to provide'such friction retarding means by providing said shaft 4- with the collars 9 and 10; the former being rigidly connected with said shaft by the set screw 11, and saidcollar 10 beingformed as a nut in engagement with the screw thread 12 on said shaft. I mount the friction block 14 loosely on said shaft 47 between said collars 9 and 10 but with friction disks 15 and 16, conveniently formedof leather or vulcanized fibre, upon opposite sides thereof and pressed into engagement therewith by the axial adjustment of said collar 10.

Although I term said'element 14 a friction block,-I find it convenient to form it as asprocket gear with teeth 18 so that it may be anchored by the flexible connector 19 which. is fixed at one end upon the stationary frame member 20, conveniently by the tap bolt 21. Such connector 19 may be a piece of sprocket chain or a leather, or other,

strap with a hole, or holes, to engage said teeth 18. .The effect of such arrangement is that the friction block 14 is prevented fromturning, while the shaft 4 is permitted to turn therein under-such friction as is imposed by the'adjustment of said collar 10; so that the tension upon said ribbonfabric 1 maybe varied-and precisely adjusted by the operator. t

Said fabric 1' is guided by. the rollers 23 and 24 so as to beprogressed between the pair of beating rollers 25, which .latter'inay e precisely'alike, provided with respective axial shafts 26, and covered with card clotliing 27 provided with stiff wire'pa illae '28, which may be radial as indicate or ,be otherwise disposed. Said rollers 25 are both rotated so'as to beat and brush said fabric 1 in the direction opposite to its movement, as indicated by the arrows on Fig. I with the effect of breaking up the caked dried ink, residual in the fabric 1, and renewingthe nap upon the latter.

Said fabric 1 is guided in its passage from said beating rollers 25-to said feed rollers 6, conveniently by the guide rollers 30, 31 and. 32, so as to be tank 34 through the ink solvent 35, in said tank, which is conveniently a liquid either I05 irected into and from the p nd it convenient to provide one of said rollers 6 with the gear 37 engaging the intermediate gear 38 which engages the gear 39 on the upper roller said gear 39 engaging the similar gear 40 on the lower roller 25.

However, I"'rdo not desire to-limit myself to the precise details of construction, ar-' rangement or procedure herein set forth, as

,it is obvioustha't various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention, as de fined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of renewing used ink ribbon, formed of textile fabric impregnated with dried ink; which consists in progressing such inked ribbon, in one direction, while dr between rollers provided with card clot ing, including stifl" wire papillae; while beating and brushing said fabric in the opposite direction, by rotating said rollers, and thus -loosening the-:dried ink in the fabric and reforming a na upon each side of said fabric progressing said fabric through an ink solvent, including carbon tetrachloride; thus dissolving such loosened ink from the fabric; and then expressing such solvent and solute from said fabric, by wringing the latter between opposed rotary rollers.

2. The method of renewing used ink ribbon, formed of textile fabric impregnated with dried ink; which consists in rogressing such inked ribbon, in one irection, while dry, between rollers provided with wire papillae; while beatin and brushing said fabric in the opposite irection; by roitating said rollers, and thus loosening the dried ink in the fabric and reforming a nap upon each side of said fabric; progressing said fabric through an ink solvent;

thus dissolving such loosened ink from the fabric; and then expressing such olvent and solute from said" fabric, by wrlnging the latter between opposed rotary rollers.

3. The method o'f'renewing used i'nk ribbon, formed of textile fabric impregnated H with dried ink which consists in progressing such inked'ribbon, in one direction, while dry, between rollers provided with stiff papillae; while. beating and brushing said fabric in the opposite direction, by rotating 7 card cloting, includingst-ifi wire,papillae; I

while beating and brushing said fabric in the opposite direction, by rotating said roll ers, and thus loosening the dried ink in the fabric and reforming anap upon each side of said fabric.

5. The method of renewing used ink ribbon, formed of textile fabric impregnated with dried ink; which consists in rogressing such inked ribbon, in one 'irec-tion. while dr between rollers provided with still apillae; while beating and brushing said abric in the opposite direction, by rotating said rollers, and thusloosening the dried ink in the fabric and reforming a nap upon each side of said fabric.

6. The step in a process of renewing used ink ribbon, impregnated with dried ink which consists in rogressing such ribbon between opposed ro ers having stifi' papillae in contact with opposite sides of the ribbon fabric, while said fabric is dry, and While to the traverse of said ribbon. 7. The step in a process of renewing. used ink ribbon, which consists in progressing" such ribbon between opposed rollers having stiff papillae in contact with opposite sides of the ribbon fabric, while said fabric is dr and while rotating said rollers.

11 testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Burlington, New Jersey,

' this 19th day of June, 1925.

' SAMUEL A. NEIDICH.

.rotating said rollers in a direction opposite 

